Can you put a washing machine in a garage?

Looking at the problems associated with running a washing machine in a garage where the temperature in winter can drop below freezing

Many washing machines can be found in a garage – including my own. Sometimes it’s just necessary (in our case we would have no room for a dishwasher in our kitchen), however, garages are far from ideal places to run a washing machine. Here are the main disadvantages involved -

What should I do with the old hot water tap when connecting a cold fill washing machine?

As virtually all modern washing machines are cold fill, what do you do with the old hot water tap which is no longer needed?

The old hot water tap should ideally be capped off by screwing a special blanking cap onto it. This is wise because I’ve heard of several cases where the unused hot tap has eventually started to drip, or even where the lever has been accidentally knocked partially on later. This can happen if the hot tap is in the kitchen sink cupboard. I’ve also seen cases where the washing machine itself moved about and knocked the lever when the hot tap was behind the washing machine. This isn’t so likely if your old hot water tap is a proper screw type but the ubiquitous red and blue lever taps are more prone to these issues and it’s safer to blank off any old unused washing machine tap, especially if they are installed out of sight.

Washing machine won’t spin just one item or very small loads

Many people are having issues with new washing machines that refuse to spin just one item, or maybe just a few items. They are frustrated because their previous washing machine would spin with just one item inside but their new one won’t, and they are convinced the washing machine is faulty.

Why don’t most modern washing machines last very long?

Over the last 11 years I’ve been writing about the poor quality of many modern washing machines. As a long-time repairman I’d witnessed the gradual slip between people keeping them running as long as possible to throwing them away at the first breakdown – unless it could be fixed for a pittance. Since then it’s become a serious environmental issue. I’ve listed a few of my relevant articles from Washerhelp below.

Is it possible to use a hot & cold fill washing machine with just a cold supply?

You might move house and find the plumbing in the new house only has a cold water supply but your washing machine is a hot and cold fill washing machine. One option is to have a hot supply plumbed in but as virtually all modern washing machines are cold fill now it may be better to use a y-piece to convert your hot and cold washer to use only a cold water supply.